Visiting faculty for literary exposure

Academic Naresh Kumar from Ghatshila College speaks at Litrologue at Karim City College on Sunday. Telegraph picture

Karim City College, one of the most premier cradles under Kolhan University, has hit upon an innovative idea to enliven literature classes.

The college’s department of English introduced Litrologue (literature and dialogue), a lecture series where visiting faculty members from other colleges and universities come to take classes and interface with students. Litrologue debuted on Karim City campus on February 20 with a lecture on Modernism by visiting academic Naresh Kumar from Ghatshila College.

Gradually, Litrologue sessions will be held for literatures in regional languages taught in the cradle such as Bengali, Urdu, Odia and Hindi. The college plans to invite academics from Calcutta, Odisha and Bihar for delivering lectures.

“The two main aims behind this initiative are giving our students a chance to interact with learned faculty members of other colleges and varsities and sharing knowledge and resources. Faculty members will deliver lectures to widen the exposure of students,” said English department head Yahiya Ibrahim.

Twice a year, Litrologue will be held as a series of lectures. Visiting faculty also will drop in regularly for classes.

Karim City also started remedial classes for educationally backward students in an initiative funded by University Grants Commission (UGC), New Delhi. The venture debuted on Sunday with extra classes for second-year honours subjects. These will be held on Sundays and other holidays.

“The college has received around Rs 1.5 lakh from UGC which we spend on teachers. The main aim of the remedial programme is to take care of weak students,” said Karim City college principal Mohammad Zakaria.

“We want the under-performing students to catch up. Most are needy, SC/ST or minority students,” said Aaley Ali, college in-charge of remedial classes.